Coal mines assess their own performance on dust

The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority has defended its decision to allow coal mines to assess their own operations as part of a state-wide crackdown on dust emissions.

Five Hunter coal mines have already completed assessments of their own sites against world's best practice measures for dust suppression.

The mines have suggested ways of improving their operations and they will eventually be required to implement any 'feasible' measures as part of a legally binding pollution reduction program.

The EPA's Director of Coal and Gas, Joshua Gilroy says each mine assessment will be thoroughly reviewed.

"Now we have in the order of 60 mines across New South Wales that are on this program, we will be doing a mine by mine evaluation," he said.

"Of course, if we believe the reports could be improved or indeed that there are actions the mines could take that the EPA identify, then we will be having those discussions with the mines."

The mine assessments received by the EPA include a range of additional measures, such as increasing watering of haul roads and temporary revegetation of soil.

Mr Gilroy says most of the dust generated on mine sites is from machine traffic.

"Wheel-generated dust, primarily on haul roads, wind erosion from exposed earth and overburden and also bulldozers, those three activities at mines account for over 70 percent of the dust they produce.

"So we expect the actions at the mines will focus on those three activities to make the greatest difference."